The Rt Rev Peter Broadbent, the Bishop of Willesden, accused the BBC of “appallingly sycophantic” coverage of the former Prime Minister’s death while the press, he said, was silencing voices of opposition.

He said it was impossible to have a “sensible debate” about Lady Thatcher’s record in the current atmosphere before joking that he was unlikely to be invited to her funeral.

His comments will come as an acute embarrassment to his boss the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, who is due to preach the sermon at the service in St Paul’s Cathedral next week.

It is not the first time his outspoken remarks have created a headache for Bishop Chartres in similar circumstances.

He caused a storm following the announcement of Prince William’s engagement to Catherine Middleton two and a half years ago, describing the couple as “shallow celebrities” and saying he gave their marriage no more than seven years.

The Bishop of London, who went on to preach the sermon at the couple’s wedding a few months later, temporarily suspended Bishop Broadbent and ordered him to apologise.

Bishop Broadbent, 60, a Labour Party member and former Islington councillor, proudly describes himself on his Twitter profile as a “socialist” and “republican”.

His latest comments come through a series of messages on Twitter.

It began on Monday, the day Lady Thatcher died, when he posted a message from a Christian conference he is attending reading: “It's going to be good to be out of London and away from Radio & TV for the next week.

“We continue to fight for the poor and the victims.”

He later posted a link with a video clip of the Labour MP Glenda Jackson speaking in the Commons issuing an outspoken attack on Thatcherism which she said had “wreaked the most heinous social, economic and spiritual damage on this country”.

He described the MP’s remarks as an “eloquent contribution”.

Then on Thursday, amid an online discussion about coverage of the Church of England’s current stance blessings for civil partnerships he hit out at the media in general

He explained: “I'm influenced by current tide of eulogy and propaganda surrounding a forthcoming event and suppression of dissent.”

Asked what he meant he explained: “I think it is sad that we can’t have a sensible debate about all of this and that the whole manner of being able to express dissent [has been lost] by the way the press are treating this.

“And the BBC coverage has been appallingly sycophantic.”

Asked whether he would be attending the funeral he joked: “I don’t think I will get an invite.”